25% Moms In Brazil Suffer With Postpartum Depression

A recent study carried out by the British Parent-Infant foundation revealed that one in ten women have difficulties bonding with their babies. The same research revealed that about 73% of these women did not receive guidance on how to increase the affective connection in these relationships, relying only on a simple direction to try to connect emotionally with the children as a way of promoting a healthy development for the baby.

The survey data are close to a striking reality in Brazil: postpartum depression. Currently, it affects about 25% of Brazilian mothers in the period from six to 18 months after the baby’s birth. Jacqueline Isaac Machado Brigagão, professor of Midwifery at the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH) at USP, explains that it is essential to differentiate between depression and baby blues in order to understand the theme.

perinatal depression
First, the specialist explains that, currently, the term “perinatal depression” is more used to define this condition, since there are some studies that show that, in many cases, the symptoms are present since pregnancy. The distinction between perinatal depression and baby blues is also essential; Jacqueline comments that “during pregnancy, a woman goes through many hormonal, physical, emotional and social changes. Childbirth also involves an intense physiological and psychic effort, so it is common for women to experience varied emotions”.

Thus, the mixture between a feeling of sadness and tiredness — called baby blues — is common, not pathological and can last up to two weeks. If this situation extends over a longer period, the specialist explains that it is likely that the case will be identified as postpartum depression. The main symptoms of this condition are: anxiety, difficulties in relationships with the baby, feelings of uselessness and guilt, insomnia or excessive sleep, slowness in the way of acting, unusual agitation, recurring thoughts of death, among others. “It is important for us to think that these symptoms do not all have to be present for a diagnosis to be made,” she adds.

romanticization
Among the different factors that contribute to the complication of maternal mental health, the excessive romanticization of motherhood seems to be one of those that are directly related to the development of some psychological disorders. Renata Pereira de Felipe, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology at USP, comments that women are socialized from an early age to care. “There is a romanticization of pregnancy, childbirth, the puerperium and even raising a child, where the idea is sold that these events involve a lot of happiness for all parties involved, especially for the mother”, explains the specialist.


Renata also reinforces that it is necessary to remember that this moment is a period of the female life cycle that, because it is very sensitive, can be associated with the emergence of emotional problems in parents — especially in women. Compulsory motherhood is another important issue associated with the issue: “Today, 37% of women do not want to be a mother, according to the study by Daniele Fontoura and Valeska Zanello published in 2022.

In order to change current conditions, rethinking the type of socialization that reduces the role of care to women seems to be essential. It is also important to understand that building bonds between mother and baby cannot be done overnight, based on some manual or magic formula, so understanding this process can make the path easier for both mother and child. “What we observe in practice and in research is that, if the mother has a good support network in these first months of the baby’s life, the bonds between her and him are facilitated”, says Jacqueline Brigagão.

psychological follow-up
According to the obstetrician, the best help that can be offered to mothers of newborns is to ensure that they have a support network. It is also essential that health professionals are attentive and can identify the first signs of perinatal depression so that an evaluation with a specialized professional can be carried out.

Renata Pereira also explains that, for the treatment of perinatal depression, the same methods used in the treatment of general depressions common in other periods of the female cycle, such as psychotherapeutic or psychiatric follow-up, are indicated. “Psychological and psychiatric follow-up is essential to help women with postpartum depression and without postpartum depression, even when there is no specific complaint regarding the best type of support. In addition to specialized psychological support, social support from partners — mothers, friends and relatives in general — is essential for these women to feel welcomed,” she says.

Therefore, active, individualized listening, without moral judgments of how a mother should behave and devoid of comparisons, is very necessary. “If someone in pain, whoever that person may be, seeks you out, the advice is generally that you initially listen to that person”, says Renata.

Links
The understanding that creating bonds with the baby is a process is also essential for understanding the theme. The researcher explains that there is no way to guarantee that this connection is created, however, there are some interventions that can be done to improve this relationship.

“It is important to remember that the majority of the population does not have access, time and resources to seek psychological/psychiatric treatment or to seek a specific type of intervention, so it is important that we always think and study which councilors, state and federal deputies, senators and presidents we vote for. Here I make an appeal for people to always vote for politicians committed to the issue of maternal and child health, so that certain types of care reach the greatest number of people in need”, concludes Renata.

Jacqueline explains that both the federal government and subnational governments — states and municipalities — must design and implement public policies that focus on maternal mental health; according to the teacher, “sometimes we have very beautiful laws on paper that do not materialize in actions in everyday life. “That is why I am emphasizing implementation, we will need to transform these laws and principles into services and concrete actions on a daily basis.”

For the expert, public policies can cover three different dimensions: the first would be the promotion of investment in education campaigns to demystify this issue and raise awareness among the general population; the second would be the guarantee that all prenatal and postpartum women have access to information and guidance on depression; and, finally, the guarantee of treatment in the Unified Health System (SUS) in an organized and accessible way. It is also important to notify the cases treated so that the presence of reliable numbers on how many cases occur every year in Brazil can be studied by specialists.